Charter schools: A proposed charter school for MacDill Air Force Base doesn't get the superintendent's approval, but the Hillsborough County School Board still could vote in favor of the project. redefinED. More from Tampa Bay Times and The Tampa Tribune. Only about three months after opening its doors, west Boynton Beach charter school Franklin Academy is already on the hunt for a new principal. Palm Beach Post. The principal of Imagine Schools Lakewood Ranch in Manatee County returns to work after the State Attorney's Office determines she will not face charges for failure to report suspected child abuse. Bradenton Herald.
Magnet schools: Pinellas County's superintendent proposes reopening two elementary schools, closed by the district just five years ago, as technology magnet schools. Tampa Bay Times.
Teacher evals: Count me among those skeptical that nearly 60 percent of Brevard teachers are “highly effective,” writes Matt Reed for Florida Today. Scholar Diploma and teacher evaluations are two state programs joining a long list of empty initiatives that accomplish nothing other than some politically appealing headlines for policymakers — some of whom might not be in office when the impacts hit, says the Naples Daily News. No evaluation system is perfect, but neither is every teacher. The public shouldn't stand for the kind of grade inflation for teachers that wouldn't be tolerated for students, says The Gainesville Sun.
School safety: More security guards are not needed in the Hillsborough public schools and could contribute to discrimination against minority students, says the American Civil Liberties Union. Tampa Bay Times.
Common Core: While the transition will be challenging, never before have our standards contained the coherence, rigor and depth of understanding the CCSS brings to us, writes teacher Peggy Brookins for the Ocala Star-Banner.
College prep: Survey results from the PISA show most of the nearly 2,000 Florida teenagers who took the test are “satisfied” with their schooling and feel they’ll be prepared for college as long as they put forth the necessary effort. On the other hand, Sunshine State students are more likely to skip school than their U.S. and international peers and nearly 30 percent say school “does little to prepare me for adult life.” Miami Herald.
Class size: Class size compliance around the state has improved, with just 11,595 of 447,206 total public school classrooms out of compliance in the October count. Tampa Bay Times.
School boards: Pinellas County School Board members consider moving the timing of public comments from before regular board meetings to after. Tampa Bay Times.
Superintendents: Miami-Dade superintendent Alberto Carvalho takes home the Superintendent of the Year award from the Florida Association of District School Superintendents. Miami Herald.
Teachers: Some Pinellas County schools could lose a teacher at the start of the second semester. Tampa Bay Times.
Audit: Broward County schools could be forced to pay as much as $1.7 million after a state audit concluded they received funding for hundreds of ineligible students. Sun Sentinel.
STEM: The first black pilot to fly solo around the world inspires Esambia middle and elementary students to study STEM careers with his story. Pensacola News-Journal.
